Amidst the chaos, James and his men found a path in the backyard and were preparing to charge when suddenly the surrounding darkness seemed to freeze. An unprecedented pressure enveloped the entire church, even penetrating the walls and affecting the nearby residential area. Several local residents began to whisper in panic.
"My God, what the hell is this? I feel like I can't even breathe properly," an elderly man said tremulously, his face covered in sweat.
“Sir, please don’t be afraid. Perhaps a master has appeared on our side!” A young girl next to him tried to comfort him, but her tone also revealed a hint of unease. “Look, those people are still fighting bravely.”
Just then, a deep and eerie voice echoed from deep within the church: "Foolish humans, do you think you have the spoils of victory? Hmph... the game has only just begun!"
Meanwhile, a figure on the path outside the church caught James and the others' attention. It was a seemingly ordinary young man, but his eyes were unusually resolute. "Hey, you guys look pretty impressive. Want some special help?" he asked casually.
James exchanged a glance with his teammate, then nodded without hesitation. "Alright, now we need any available resources."
The young man smiled slightly, then swiftly formed hand seals, gradually condensing a ball of energy shimmering with golden light at his fingertips. "This is the power inherited from an ancient civilization. Although I can only use a small portion for now... it's enough to deal with the current predicament."
Having said that, he gently tossed the energy in his hand toward the center of the church. Instantly, the previously pitch-black environment was illuminated again—this time by warm and soft sunlight. As the light spread, various threats that had been hiding in the shadows revealed themselves, roaring or screaming, and vanishing without a trace upon contact with the light.
"That's amazing! It's like magic!" Carl exclaimed in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold.
"Hurry up and go in to help!" The young man, instead of being complacent, reminded them. Hearing this, everyone immediately realized that this was a rare opportunity and quickened their pace to go inside.
Inside the church, Arya and Robin also sensed the sudden change in the outside world. "What's going on? Why does it suddenly seem like some powerful being has joined our side?"
Just as they were wondering, a stone door that had been tightly closed for a long time slowly opened, revealing a deep and mysterious space inside. "What's over there? Could there be even more important clues hidden behind it?" Rex's curious nature drove him to go and check it out immediately.
However, Mark seemed cautious: "Let's deal with the immediate problem first. It's good that someone is coming to help, but we can't let our guard down."
At this moment, the remaining hostile forces inside the church were clearly also intimidated by the force they had just witnessed, and their movements became hesitant. This was the perfect opportunity for a counterattack. "Brothers, follow us! We can't let any of these bad guys get away!" Tom roared, charging forward first…
Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of impending final victory, the mysterious being's cold laughter rang out again: "Hehehe...it seems we still need a little entertainment."
As soon as the words were spoken, the church walls were instantly covered with strange symbols, followed by a phantom mist that appeared out of thin air and completely enveloped the entire building...
"Oh no, the situation has changed again!" Sophia's face darkened. "This time, things probably won't end so easily..."
“That’s right, and it feels like the real enemy hasn’t truly shown themselves yet,” Robin agreed, his eyes fixed on the strange symbols, trying to find a clue. “But if that’s the case, let’s work even harder to find the answer!”
Therefore, everyone present mustered their spirits to face the unknown new challenges... As for when this protracted struggle would end, and what the final outcome would be, these became the answers everyone most urgently wanted to know...
Around the church, the residents' faces were filled with fear and confusion. The sudden light broke the silence of the night, but it also brought deeper uncertainty.
"What just happened?" A little boy in his pajamas tugged at his mother's arm, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.
“I don’t know, baby… but it seems like someone is fighting for us.” The woman comforted her son, but her tone sounded weak, and her gaze remained fixed on the direction illuminated by the golden light.
Inside the church, after a brief moment of silence, everyone returned to a state of alert. As the symbols slowly lit up and emitted an ominous glow, the entire space seemed to transform into another dimension.
"Everyone be careful!" Robin shouted, her voice trembling slightly. "I have a bad feeling..."
"Who do you think set this trap?" Mark said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, his hand gripping his weapon tightly. "In any case, we absolutely cannot act rashly before we figure out the situation."
Meanwhile, the mysterious entity deep within the church seemed quite pleased with the current developments, continuing its mocking laughter: "Ha, look how panicked you fools are now! It's quite a feast for the eyes."
Suddenly, a ghostly green aura rose from the courtyard, accompanied by a chilling aura that quickly spread. "This...this is a curse?" Arya exclaimed. She immediately began trying to fight it with mental magic, shouting, "Everyone, don't be afraid! Concentrate and fight against the evil force!"
"Wait, don't we still have that foreign player?" Karl asked, turning back towards the doorway.
Indeed, the young man stood quietly at the back of the crowd, his eyes closed as he sensed the fluctuations in the air. "It seems the real battle has only just begun." As he spoke, an even stronger surge of energy erupted from his body. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I can protect you all."
In the blink of an eye, a blinding light shot through the air once more, directly striking the center of the ever-expanding black mist. The collision produced a deafening roar, instantly shattering much of the surrounding darkness. However, immediately afterward, countless invisible hands reached out from the void, attempting to seize the attackers…
"Retreat!" Tom shouted, leading the retreat. Everyone immediately followed the order—although they were full of doubts, they had no choice but to obey the instructions in this life-or-death situation.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, Sofia suddenly stopped. "Wait... I've noticed something seems off here..."
"What?" Robin asked alertly upon hearing his companion's words.
Just then, the runes above their heads suddenly changed: the previously random characters began to gradually form sentences...
"Could this be the key to solving everything?" The girl frowned, analyzing intently. "However... if my judgment is correct... what happens next will probably surprise everyone..."
The words had barely left his lips when a deafening crack resounded, and a massive fissure split open in the church floor! The sight revealed through the crack sent a chill down everyone's spine:
A vast labyrinth is hidden underground?!
"Damn it! This place is so complicated?!" Mark couldn't help but curse.
“Hey buddy, don’t worry too much,” James said with a forced smile. “At least we have more places to explore now.”
"Explore my foot! Who knows what monsters are waiting for us down there!" Rex muttered, but still followed closely behind his teammates, ready to face the unknown challenge.
"Let's go, everyone, we must uncover the truth behind all of this no matter what!" Robin said firmly.
As the last person stepped into the bottomless underground passage, the outside world fell silent for a moment, but soon, an even more violent storm would unfold.
"Hehehe, do you really think you can beat me like this? How naive." The mysterious being's cold laughter echoed in the air once more, while its identity and purpose remained a mystery awaiting answers.
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